Collosorahk
The Collosorahk are a huge species of segmented worm-like Rahi native to the Isle of Terra Nui. They are one of the most important members of the island's ecosystem, for their tunneling helps to aerate the soil and break down nutrients. Collosorahk spend most of their long lives underground, and can be found almost anywhere on Terra Nui where there is suitable soil -- even the lava plains of Mount Juvala or the sands of the Pehku Desert. As detritivores, they consume vast amounts of Stone and Earth to digest any organic matter contained within it; but due to their massive size, they also eat any plant or animal matter in the way of their ravenous grinding mouth. The undigested soil then passes out of their systems as nutrient-rich castings. Periodically Collosorahk will close their mouths as they burrow, creating tunnels whose walls are smoothed through frequent use by many worms. History When Matoran first reached Terra Nui, they were amazed to discover a massive network of tunnels beneath the surface of the island. These had been carved out over the eons by the largest Collosorahk, whose frequent journeys through the earth had swallowed the tunnels of their smaller relatives. A lucrative mining business soon emerged among the resident Onu-Matoran, who journey into the tunnels to gather valuable Terra Nui Ore, Lightstones, and Protodermis. Mining camps are now scattered across the island, usually within easy access to a Collosorahk hole. While the mining business has generated tremendous benefits for the Terra-Koro economy, it also poses significant risks. Matoran miners now wear armored suits created by the inventor Wula, but these clunky outfits leave them slow and cumbersome in movement should a large Collosorahk arrive. Recognizing the dangers posed by hungry worms, the Onu-Matoran have set up Collosorahk alarms throughout the mining camps that can be activated at the sight of an approaching behemoth, but even these do not always avert disaster. Hemisva beetles, with their keen sense of hearing, are also used as warning systems to detect Collosorahk. In the history of Terra Nui, special mention must also be given to an ancient Collosorahk known as Shredder. This individual was speculated to have been born in the year 100,000 B.G.C., when the first Matoran colonists reached Terra Nui. As the village of Terra-Koro grew and prospered, word grew of a Collosorahk that rapidly outpaced its fellows in size, and this beast soon achieved legendary status. Shredder thus became a benchmark for Terra Nui history, with the timeline of the island marked beginning in the year of his birth. ''The Power Within In 5,400 A.G.C., the titan Hakeahu used the Kanohi Zlinj to awaken Shredder from one of its periodic millennia-long naps, and summoned it to the Sharaku Stronghold. Unable to escape from the massive Collosorahk, both Hakeahu and his opponent, the Sharaku Zakarath, were swallowed by Shredder along with the Mask of Nature. The tunneling actions of Shredder also caused the southern Coastal Shelf to collapse, sending the ruins of the Stronghold to the bottom of the sea. These ruins eventually formed the Sharakoro Archipelago. The Balance Reborn Forty years later, in the aftermath of the Second Battle of Terra Nui, Shredder was summoned yet again. The Quntaino Argentaros, after days of fruitless searching, finally discovered that the Zlinj he sought was inside the mouth of Shredder, which was why his inner compass had been unable to pinpoint its location. Initially awakened by the seven Quntaino as the means by which to acquire the Mask of Nature, Shredder tunneled to the surface on the plains near Terra-Koro, pacified by the powers of the Quntaino. The seven Keystone-Born instead sacrificed their life powers to fuse the Kanohi Zlinj to the inside of Shredder's mouth, turning it into a Legendary Mask of Power and making its bearer immortal and rejuvenated. Shredder then tunneled away, now the eternal guardian of the mask. Abilities & Traits Like all annelids, Collosorahk have bodies divided into many segments. These are protected by thick armored plating, which is interspersed with bristle-like setae between each segment to aid in traction while burrowing, along with fin-like spikes on the dorsal side. The emerald armor of a Collosorahk changes in color as it ages, ranging from a light lime in newborns to a deep jade in very old worms. Using its longitudinal muscles, a Collosorahk is capable of a wriggling, slithering movement and can reach speeds of up to sixty mio per hour. for size reference.]] A Collosorahk's most distinguishing feature is its massive maw, which contains hundreds of dagger-like teeth that are harder than diamonds, arranged in multiple rows. Like sharks, Collosorahk lose their teeth easily but grow new ones continuously thoughout their lifetimes. By gnashing different rows of its teeth at different times while inhaling, a conveyor-belt process is created by which a Collosorahk grinds engulfed particles to pieces. Food that is not ground up by this mechanical digestion then passes into the crop and gizzard, which contain glands that are capable of spontaneous combustion, literally creating a fiery furnace to incinerate what the Collosorahk eats. Anything that this process does not reduce to tiny bits finally goes into the worm's stomach, which has extreme acidity and can digest even the hardest and most resilient substances. To ensure that it does not burn or dissolve its own digestive tract, the inner linings of these organs also have armor plating. While full-grown Collosorahk have impenetrable defenses in this hardened skin, young worms lack such armor and must rely instead on four poison glands located around their neck. These secrete a poison more toxic than Xotohk venom, which will kill anything that chomps down on the head area of a young Collosorahk. Some Xotohk, however, have learned to sting the tail end of a surfacing juvenile Collosorahk to disarm it, pull the worm out of its hole, and then eat all parts of the body except the head and neck. But most Rahi -- including larger Collosorahk -- have learned to avoid these toxic worms, and leave them alone. A Collosorahk's poison glands shrivel after it reaches about one hundred years old, at which point its armor has become fully developed and no Rahi will try to eat it. Adult Collosorahk have no predators, not even larger members of their own kind. Taxonomy Although no similar species of worms have been found on Terra Nui, the Collosorahk shares many similarities with the Tunneler, a closely-related annelid. Both are gargantuan earth-eaters that will consume anything in the path of their mouth, are long-lived, and are left alone by most Rahi. Habitat Range Collosorahk are found all over Terra Nui and have been observed to tunnel through all levels of soil. Young ones most often frequent the topsoil, while the larger and older worms tend to tunnel up to several kio below the ground. From time to time, Collosorahk will tunnel to the surface to bask in the sun or rest. Behavior Being subterrranean creatures, Collosorahk will usually remain in their network of tunnels. They breathe through the moist mucous membranes of their mouth, but there is usually enough air in these tunnels to prevent visits to the surface. Surprisingly, Collosorahk have retained their sense of vision -- although their eyes are greatly reduced in size -- and will respond to stimuli only directly in front of them, since their visual field is poor. There is no breeding season among the Collosorahk: they will breed at odd intervals every few decades. They are hermaphrodites, with each worm possessing male and female sex organs. If two Collosorahk of similar size chance upon each other during one of these periods, they will fertilize each other's eggs and move on. Collosorahk egg cases are twice as long as a Toa Canister and resemble rocky cylinders. Although only a single three-bio long hatchling will emerge from each egg case, the overall durability of Collosorahk means that they thrive in great numbers despite their lack of fecundity. Known Collosorahk *Shredder Trivia * Appearances *The Power Within'' *''The Strength Unbound'' (Mentioned Only) *''The Balance Reborn'' Category:Matoran Universe Category:Rahi Category:Ballom